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[singlepic id=319 w=240 h=310 float=right]A sex shop just for women is a great idea, and Sisters, a Tel-Aviv based store, seems to have the right attitude: a fresh, clean, healthy approach to a safe and fulfilling sex life. Women might feel uncomfortable entering an adult video store, but a well-lit, female staffed establishment is bound to be a great success.
That said, stumbling upon their website today I was somewhat surprised to see this novelty item sold in the men’s section. Titled Boobie basketball for the office, its Hebrew description reads: “No more dead hours at work! A new game arrived at Sisters to rescue you from office desolation […] A funny gift for the office, the study or for a bachelor party”.

[singlepic id=320 w=200 h=150 float=left]Sure, novelty items can be hilarious, maybe even this one (not much of a basketball player myself) – it’s just that connecting this item to a workplace environment puzzled me, as I am pretty sure this might be a sexual harassment case waiting to happen. As far as I can tell from the photo of the item, the manufacturer uses no office-related wording on the package, which made me assume this is a case of creative freedom by the Israeli store. I expect better from a female-run business, as I am certain that sexing up the office environment is something corporate would not approve.

Update: As of February 2, 2013 this item is no longer sold on sister.co.il

[singlepic id=195 w=300 h=446 float=right]I watched a few of the first episodes of Israel’s first season of Survivor, but saw enough shots in which the female contestants’ backsides where filling up the entire screen, in order to determine this was no mistake, only another step closer to imitating the raunch culture oversees. When the Israeli media started referring to contestant Marina Kavisher as the “National Rump”, I noted to myself that this just might amount to sexual harrasment as defined by Israeli law – but kept my mouth (and keyboard) silent. As Israeli Survivor’s season 2 comes to a close, Maariv‘s fashion supplement Sig’non decided to commemorate this important event with “The Big Ass Quiz” which urges readers to match each backside with a face.

I don’t have anything particularly smart or funny to say about this. I just think this is another sign my countrymen are growing further apart from me – or vice versa.

On the road last week, an old song by Israeli band Yarkon Bridge Trio was being played on the radio, and it got me thinking about how cultural norms change over time, and how songs can be time capsules, storing the essence of en era. In this particular case the era of Israel in the 1960’s, when all the men were ‘men’, all the women were ‘girls’, and all acts of blatant sexual harassment were considered acceptable foreplay. This particular song was not only extremely popular at the time, but was considered a praise for womankind.

As always, in my translation of the lyrics to English I tried to adhere to the meaning, the tempo and the rhymes, to the best of my ability, but as always, unless you can read the original Hebrew lyrics, you can only get the general gist of it. As Israel’s national poet Hayyim Nahman Bialik put it: reading a work of art in translation is like kissing somebody through a handkerchief.

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Don’t Cross the Street Alone – Yarkon Bridge Trio – lyrics:

Stanza 1:
Girl, don’t cross the street alone
With your flowing hair
Girl, don’t cross the street alone
You will set it aflare

Stanza 2:
Each and every man will stare at you
With a look of lust
Each and every man will stare at you
With a killer glance

Stanza 3:
Hey listen,
What if one of them will suddenly break
Your tender heart
He will forever tie you to his bed
Why would you go for that

Repeat stanza 1

Stanza 4:
Each and every man will stare at you
Looking lost and forlorn
Each and every man will stare at you
Each and every one

Repeat stanza 3

Repeat stanza 1

Stanza 5:
Each and every man will stare at you
With a hungry glance
Each and every man will stare at you
With coyote eyes